Kings, Knights and Assassins
by StoryMakerr014
Summary: When C.C. restored Lelouch's memories, his hatred for Britannia is not the only one that was returned; another part of his past has been unlocked, one that may have shaped him to the person that he is in the present. Now, he begins to have strange dreams, but what are they really all about? Who is he? Who is Korosensei? And more importantly, just what is the End Class?
1. Chapter 1

Turn 01: Dream Time

Images. Voices. Sounds.

 _Where was he? What was this?_

Many things flashed before his mind, blurred and distorted as if he was viewing them through a hazy screen, unfamiliar and strange to his eyes. The images came like a flood, overwhelming his defenses and forcing themselves deeper into his mind. But all of them were strange, looking like scenes from an old movie, devoid of color, disjointed and incomprehensible.

 _What was happening? Was this a dream?_

It was, and yet it was not at the same time. It felt like far-off memories to a scattered dream, with each bits and pieces jumbled together like a puzzle, incomplete until he could piece them back together into a whole picture. And whenever he touches one, it would fleetingly brush against his fingertips before shattering into fragments like glass. They were fragile, but clear and translucent as water, yet sharp and deadly as a sharpened sword. And when he managed to grasp a single shard, the edges cut his fingers and drew blood, painful and agonizing.

M _emories... but of what? His life as a prince-turned-revolutionary leader?_

A lone orb of crimson dropped from the tip of a finger, falling on a fragmented image at his feet, and the sound was like a droplet of water disrupting the quiet stillness of a lake. As the liquid touches the crystal clear surface, it began to spread, coating the other shards in red and continuing outwards like fire, until he was surrounded in a field of his own blood. The memories became even more distorted, and with them came a new sensation.

The smell of death.

The world spun in an instance, turning upside-down in a dizzying motion and scattering the fragments further from his reach, until everything righted itself and he finally stood in the darkness. And then as if he was on a film theatre, a screen flashed in front of his view, and he beheld a peculiar scene.

 _Was that... him?_

There was a boy; a lone child amidst a world full of corruption and wrongness. Betrayal and abandonment. Lies and deceit. Despair and death. Parents sold their own children. Friends and lovers betrayed each other without a second thought. Justice was held under the thumb of the corrupt. Medicine was used only to cripple people. And humans... were just living garbage, born only to be killed.

And so the boy, believing in nothing but death, grew up to become an assassin. And he killed, and killed, and killed. Until he was standing on a field of corpses, drenched in blood with the decaying stench of death clinging to him like a perfume. All over his feet the bodies stared at him with expressions of fear and despair, though their eyes were filled with emptiness. He had taken their lives, and he was not content; he wanted more.

 ** _You go to walk the path of blood?_**

 ** _If that is my destiny._**

The words echoed around the field, rising and falling in volume, as if the winds could not decide where to carry it. As if in answer, the amount of corpses suddenly grew, and he was now on a road filled with nothing but the lifeless bodies of those he had slain. Onwards he continued, and with each step, hundreds more were added to the ever growing pile of corpses. He couldn't stop. He didn't want to stop. Not until everything was filled with death. There was no goal to his deeds, no purpose to justify his actions. He didn't care if the world burns, as long as he could take another life and claim it like a god.

 _No! This was not him! This was not what he wanted!_

As if reacting to his emotions, his surroundings shifted again, and everything dissolved, and he was back in darkness once more. But something seemed different this time; there was a strong gust of wind coming from behind, pushing him to the front, nudging him to go forward. In the distance was a faint light, a tiny pinprick of hope in the darkness. And then he understood; he was in a cave.

The light seemed to be calling to him, urging him to follow it. As if on cue, the wind became stronger, like a hurricane, almost sucking him forward. It was all he could do not to be overwhelmed by the sheer force of it, and he struggled to even remain standing. Like a lost creature, he stumbled towards the end of the cave, reaching out with his hands. As he continued his journey, strange noises began to echo around him, rising and falling in volume, sometimes whispering, sometimes booming, sometimes barely audible, while at other times painful to the ears. It was incomprehensible, but when focused enough, he could discern bits and pieces of unfamiliar sounds and voices.

 **Explosions...**

 **Gunfires...**

"... ** _blew up the moon_**..."

 **Wailings and anguish cries...**

 **Pleadings for help and mercy...**

"... _ **he can't be killed**_..."

 **Joyous laughter...**

 **Yells of success and victory...**

" _ **How are you doing today, Mr. God of**_..."

 **Several strangely familiar voices...**

 **Slithers and slurping noises...**

"... _ **be seated**_..."

 **Scrapings of chairs on a wooden floor...**

"... _ **until March next year**_..."

 **A ringing bell...**

"... ** _assassinate me._** "

 _Assassinate._

ASSASSINATE.

The words echoed in his ears, ascending to a great crescendo and shaking him to the core. It was like a stimulant to him, and he suddenly found himself putting up a burst of speed. The light was calling more stronger this time, and his heart was filled with great longing. He didn't know why, but something was telling him to reach out and grasp the thing he's been looking for; a precious treasure that he had lost and forgotten. And he knew he would find it past that brilliant light in the distance. He had to reach it. He had to get out from this tunnel of darkness.

He ran, and ran, and ran. Endlessly and tirelessly he pursued the light, unwavering and never once stopping. With each step, crystal fragments of images slowly formed in his mind, hazy and still distorted but much comprehensible than before.

 **Flying into the sky like a soaring eagle...**

 **An eternal crescent moon hanging in the night sky...**

 **Blood and a pile of corpses at his feet...**

 **A gentle hand slowly caressing his tentacles...**

 _Tentacles?!_

 **A woman, bathing in her own pool of blood...**

 _What...?_

 **A warm smile that eased his raging heart full of regret and grief...**

 _This... was this his memory?_

 **A striking cobra, deadly and skilled, full of venom and hidden killing intent like no other...**

 _Who...?_

 **Blue... someone with a blue hair...**

 _Was he...?_

"K..."

 _ **He was lying on the soft grass, tired beyond belief, yet satisfied and happy all the same...**_

"...o..."

 ** _At last, he had fulfilled his promise..._**

"...r..."

 ** _He could finally rest..._**

"...o..."

 ** _He had taught them all he could..._**

"...s..."

 _ **Now, he only had one thing to do...**_

"...e..."

 _ **H** **is** **last**_ _**act**_...

"...n..."

 _ **as a...**_

"...sei."

And then he was through, emerging from the darkness in a great speed. But the dazzling light engulfed him, blinding him to his surroundings and preventing him from seeing what was on the other side of that tunnel. And as he began to slowly grew accustomed, the sensation of being pulled back suddenly came from the cave. He was being dragged by invisible hands, his anguish cries for help muffled by a great torrent of wind. His fingers dug desperately in front of him, and he was shocked to feel soil and grass in his hands.

 _No!_

In a last futile attempt to get a brief glance at the truth, he forcibly opened his eyes only to be met with the slowly creeping darkness. He couldn't see anything anymore, and his howls echoed in his mind. However, just as the gaping maw of the cave took him back once more, he heard a sound that made his heart skipped a beat.

The unmistakable ringing of a school bell.

* * *

Lelouch vi Britannia bolted upright with a start, sweat pouring from his forehead, his heart hammering in his chest. His hands felt clammy and cold, and he could feel his lungs laboring to inhale huge amounts of oxygen. The bedsheets were soaked from perspiration, and his shirt clung to him, drenched in his sweat. For a moment, he was as still as a statue, trying to calm his racing pulse down.

He looked around the room. The curtains were drawn close, and his surroundings were dark and cold. Thunder boomed outside, with the occasional bright flashes of lightning. Rain poured like rivers, peltering the roof of the student building.

He was silent, but his mind raced as he thought. Looking at his hands, he couldn't help but wonder.

What was that dream all about?

* * *

 **Hello, and welcome to the first ever Code Geass and Assassination Classroom crossover. :)**

 **The idea for this fanfic came from two reasons: 1) which is already obvious, was the fact that both Korosensei and Lelouch shares the same voice actor, and 2) and this is one is slightly debatable, was the fact that Korosensei, in his former God of Death persona, has a similar thinking and attitude to the exiled prince; cool, smart, genius, cunning, manipulative, and most of all, ruthless. It's an interesting connection I had realised after reading the manga, and thus, was the inspiration for this fic.**

 **Now regarding the story itself, this is set post-R1 but with some slight changes in canon to fit the narrative I've planned. Basically, when Lelouch was captured by Britannia, C.C. had told the Black Knights EVERYTHING, revealing his real identity as a prince similar to** Wing Alpha Zero **'s** _Code Geass Megiddo_ **. Of course, this changes the entire story, but since this is already a crossover, I thought it's not much of a big change. Also, among other smaller things, Rolo's geass has a handicap now. It's still the same, but he can only use it for three seconds before it deactivates or else he'll suffer severe cardiac problems if he forces to keep it activated past the limit.**

 **Oh, and this is set in an undermined point of time when Lelouch discovered Nunally's "safety" in the hands of Britannia and after he gets deppressed and all that, but before he moves the BK to China. I'm trying to stretch the timeline a bit to accomodate the changes and story, so forgive me if there will be intentional discrepancies. Also, in true Assassination Classroom, expect a GREAT dose of humor and other shenanigans. :3 But considering that this is Code Geass as well, expect tragedy and drama to compliment that. ;)**

 **Anyway, this chapter is short and somewhat rough compared to my other works, which I had intended. Since this is the first of it's kind, I don't want to write 8k+ words and post it, only to receive barely any reviews. While that may sound harsh, I have 20 fanfics to update, I can't be bothered with updating a story that is not quite popular. If you wish, you could consider this as another test chapter of mine. :) Of course, if this became an instant hit, then I'll be posting chapter two, which will be much longer. Fortunately, I already got the broader strokes of the plot laid down, so it should be smooth sailing onwards.**

 **Well, that's it. Please Read & Review!**

 **Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

Turn 02: Transfer Student Time

The sun's morning rays pierced through the glass windows, bathing the student council room in a warm glow. Echoing across the room, the rhtyhmic ticking of the wall clock sounded in tandem with the pen tapping absentmindedly on a stack of papers, its holder staring at the uncomprehensible rows and columns of numbers and letters within his field of vision.

Wearing a bored expression with his chin propped on his right hand, Lelouch was the very image of a lazy secretary slacking off while his boss was away. Slouched against his seat and looking like a useless employee, the former prince read the financial reports and requests with unattentive eyes, occassionally writing his signature when needed. Though signing documents was a part of being a vice president of the student council, he'd rather be doing something more productive than this monotonous job - like polishing his plans for the Black Knight's next operations in the near future. This was Rivalz' jurisdiction as the official secretary, anyway. And he would be more than happy to trade places with his blue-haired friend just to escape.

He glanced across the table. Unfortunately, Rivalz was busy with his own assignment just like the rest of the council. The secretary sat with a deep frown, scribbling on his notebook while casting the occassional furtive glance at the President, who was busy conversing with Rolo about the next school activity. To their left, Shirley stared at her book with so much intensity that Lelouch could almost imagine it burning under her gaze, all but forgeting the cake she was supposed to have finished half an hour ago. Meanwhile, there was Suzaku waging a losing war with Arthur as he tried, quite comically, in vain to prevent the cat from nabbing the strawberry atop Shirley's desert. It was kind of funny seing the Knight of Seven losing a battle against a cat despite his exceptional skills in Knightmare Frame combat, suffering numerous bites and scratches from the angry feline.

Scowling, Lelouch wrote his signature for the twentieth time with a harder than usual stroke of his pen, almost tearing a gash at the paper - an action that didn't escaped Rolo's attention. Many times the former prince wished he could just order his fake little brother to kill the traitorous bastard for using Nunally as a bait to lure him out as well as the other transgressions he had done. He was the greatest obstacle in his quest for vengeance, and every plan he had concocted so far fell apart in an instant because of his sudden intervention. He sometimes wondered if Suzaku was a clairvoyant considering he could always anticipate his movements and respond in accordance, a fact that irked him to no end. But since it was Schneizel he was often under the command of, the idea was pretty laughable.

Still, he couldn't kill him yet. He still has plans for the naive hypocrite, and he couldn't enact them if Suzaku was dead. Besides, there's still Nunally to worry about. He didn't know where she was, but the Knight of Seven most likely did; he was the one who called her a few days ago, after all. Therefore, even though he wanted nothing more than to see his corpse rotting at his feet, Suzaku Kururugi had to live... for now.

He stood up, shuffling his papers and rearranging them to a neat stack with the pen on top. Immediately, the others looked at him in surprise.

"Lelouch, where are you going?" Milly frowned.

"Gym class," Lelouch responded in a monotone and briefly caught Rolo's eye. "Ms. Villetta asked me to participate this time."

Everyone's eyebrows shot up. "Seriously?" Suzaku said in disbelief, momentarily forgeting about his duel with Arthur and enabling the cat to finally snatch the strawberry.

"Yup."

"You're not going to use this as an excuse to gamble again, are you?" Shirley narrowed her eyes dangerously before glancing at Rolo. "Is this true, Rolo?"

"Ah, yes," the assassin nodded, his eyes darting briefly to Lelouch. "I was there when she told Nii-san," he added.

"More like ordered," Lelouch snorted. "In any case, you have nothing to worry about, Shirley. My gambling days are over."

He flashed her a smile, and her expression immediately softened. But there was still doubt and suspicion lingering in her eyes. "You better be telling the truth, Lulu," she said.

"I am," he reassured her, then smirked. "Besides, if I really wanted to gamble I would ask Rivalz to drive for me. Unfortunately," the former princed lifted the stack of papers and dumped it in front of his blue-haired friend, "our dear secretary seem to be busy at the moment."

"What's this?!" Rivalz yelped at the amount of work he had been thrusted into.

"Your assigment, Mr. Secretary," he grinned. "There's no problem with it, right?"

"There is!" the council secretary stared in horror at the pile of papers. "I'm not yet finish with my report on the school budget!"

"Well, that should help you finish it faster. That's alright, isn't it, President?" Lelouch turned to Milly.

For a moment, the heiress of the Ashford family tapped her chin thoughtfully, a smile stretching on her lips. She couldn't play favourites, but she didn't want to burden Rivalz with so much work either. The young Cardemonde already had his hands full, and anymore than that would stress him out. However, Lelouch was physically unfit for someone his age, and she didn't want that too. In case of emergency, he would be most likely carried by a much stronger individual due to his abyssmal stamina. It didn't helped that he easily got winded which might make him prone to heart diseases. Therefore...

"I see no problem with that," Milly shrugged.

"No!" Rivalz groaned and slammed his head on the table rather melodramatically. "President, why did you do this to me?"

"It's for Lelouch's health, Rivalz," the buxom head of the student body gave the former prince a disapproving look. "I mean, just look at him. He could pass for a scarecrow if dressed the right way."

Lelouch grunted. "That's kind of insulting, Milly."

"But you know it's the truth," her smile returned in full force. "Besides, think about it. How are you suppose to have kids if your body can't handle the job of making one?"

There was a collection of choking sounds, most notably from the target of the obvious insult itself. To the side, Suzaku shook with restrained mirth, trying hard not to fall from his seat. Meanwhile, Shirley's face turned as red as the strawberry Arthur had just eaten.

"That's uncalled for, President!" she scolded the older girl while blushing furiously.

"Nonsense," Milly huffed and planted her hands into her hips. "You of all people should understand what I mean. After all, you always fantasize about Lulu having se-"

"I'm going out," Lelouch cut her off before she could finish her sentence, flustered beyond imagination. "Rolo!"

"Right behind you, Nii-san," the assassin answered obediently and stood up. Though judging by his faint smile, he was most likely going to tease his fake older brother as soon as they were out in the hallway.

"If you will excuse me," Lelouch muttered, flashing Suzaku a heated glare before turning to his heels and finally marching out of the room, his little brother following closely behind.

For a moment there was silence. Until, with the exception of Shirley who buried her face in her hands, everyone finally broke out in hysterical laughter.

* * *

"Pervert."

Muttering under his breath, Lelouch strode along the hallway with a flushed expression, grumbling all the way at Milly's jab to his physical prowess. True, he was not strong enough to even compare with Suzaku, or any of his Black Knights for that matter. But he was not that weak; he managed to take care of Nunally during the times there were just the two of them, after all. And that should prove how capable his body was.

"She has a point though, Nii-san," Rolo trailed beside him. "You should be more physically fit. The Black Knights' operations will just get more difficult, and you need to be able to protect yourself."

"I have my Geass," Lelouch grunted as they went through a junction. "I could simply order someone to protect me. Besides," he glanced sideways and smiled. "I have you, don't I?"

Rolo immediately turned away in embarassment, a smile of his own touching his lips. "Not all the time, Nii-san. You know that. We may get missions that would force me to leave your side."

"Well, we'll just make sure your missions are easy to accomplish," the former prince placed a hand on his shoulder. "Easy enough that you could return to my side quickly."

"Knowing you, Nii-san, I doubt if that will ever happen," the assassin snorted.

Lelouch chuckled, but remained silent. As they walked together along the hallway, he took note of the students passing by or chatting idly near the windows. It was almost 10am, and most of them were getting ready for the next class. Occassionally, girls would began to whisper the closer he got, giggling and pointing in his direction, while the boys would scowl in jealousy and envy, casting dark looks on him. He had already grown accustomed to this though, and he payed them no attention. He was actually fortunately; this was nothing compared to the murmurings whenever Suzaku appears.

He suddenly frowned. Speaking of the traitorous Eleven, he was seeing more of the Ashford Self-Defense Force lately. Perhaps it has something to do with the Honorary Britannian ace pilot and White Knight had re-enrolling in the academy this week, and the obnoxious group was fearing an uprising from the Japanese students because they finally have a hero whom they could rely on. That, or they wanted to keep watch on the Elevens in case some of them attacks Suzaku for siding with the Britannians despite the SAZ massacre, though he doubt that very much; even outside the Lancelot, the pilot was just as formidable as the Knightmare Frame itself.

Well, whatever the case, it's not his problem but Milly's. He's just the Vice-President, after all. And the majority of control fell into the Ashford heiress' hands. He could only help in her decision making and by adding suggestions. But otherwise, he didn't want anything to do with running the student body. He had too much in his hands as Zero, and he'd rather spend his efforts running a nationwide rebellion than promoting peace and equality inside the school.

Although that would just make him a hypocrite, but whatever. He didn't care much about the ASDF anyway, no matter how he loathed the arrogant fools and their violent ways. As long as they kept their methods from causing unnecessary trouble for the council and the academy itself, and he wouldn't witness their actions himself, they could do anything they want.

Lelouch glanced at his watch. 09:56am. They still have 30 minutes before the next class starts, more than enough time to see Villetta. Despite his excuse to Milly and the others, they were not really going to meet with her on the gymnasium. Although that was not a complete lie either. Rather, he and Rolo would meet her beneath the academy - right where the headquarters of SIA was located.

"She better have information about Nunally's whereabouts this time," he muttered while keeping his attention focused ahead. More than a week after Suzaku's failed attempt to lure him out by using Nunally as bait and he still didn't know where his little sister was. Of course, since this was a princess he was talking about, he doubt if the information would be easy to get. It took a year for C.C. and Kallen to retrieve him, though he could just attribute it to the fact that the Black Knights were scattered and leaderless.

"Don't worry, Nii-san," Rolo said reassuringly. "I'm sure she have it this time. The Office of Secret Intelligence is formed by the Emperor himself, after all. They are bound to know her location if they were monitoring you."

"They better be," Lelouch grunted.

They continued in silence, going through another hallway leading to the library. By now the students had thickened as they rushed to change classes, and they pressed forward as the corridor became more crowded. The enrollees this year seemed quite numerous than the previous one, and he heard the academy was going to construct a new wing just to accomodate the new batches. Most of them were Britannians, as always, though there were also Japanese students; Ashford Academy was one of the few who would accept both as the school was previously own by a Japanese. Unfortunately, enrollment rates for the Elevens dropped considerably compared last year - probably because of the SAZ massacre.

The memories suddenly came rushing at the forefront of his mind, and he touched his left eye out of instinct as he tried to push them away. Whenever he remembers the demented smile on Euphie's face, his Geass would always burn, as if mocking him of the sins he had unwillingly commited. Many times he wanted to claw his left eye out, realizing a minute later what a foolish thought it was. He wouldn't be able to repent for his crimes if he did, and bearing the Power of Kings as a form of curse was already a punishment in itself. He just hope he would be more careful next time; he had quite the habit of blurting out the wrong things at the wrong time which would always cause serious repurcussions in the future. Euphie's death had thought him that much, and he didn't want an event like that happening again.

He checked his watch again to dstract himself from any more negative thoughts. It read 10:07 AM. Just a few more minutes and they'll reach the library. From there they would meet Villetta for a short briefing of any information regarding Nunally, and then they would go to the next class. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes, and they should be able to-

"Stupid Eleven! Just give us your damn money!"

Lelouch suddenly stopped.

"Nii-san?" Rolo immediately turned his head after realizing that his brother was no longer beside him. However, the prince kept his sight in front with a hooded expression, prompting him to follow his gaze.

On the far corner of the hallway which turned left, a group of three sophomores surrounded a student, standing impassively with arms crossed and faces scowling in anger. The armbands on their forearms identified them as members of the Ashford Self-Defense Force, and even a fool could understand that they were doing one of their 'disciplinary methods' - which was just a polite term for a hostile act against an innocent. Meanwhile, the victim, an Eleven girl by the looks of it, lay trembling and cowering at their oppressive presence, pressing herself against the wall and clutching her bag in fear.

Lelouch frowned. She was small in stature with wavy black hair that framed her face, and bangs that prevented him from seeing her eyes. For a moment, he was reminded of Nunally with the way the student tried to make herself looked smaller than she already was, despite the fact that his sister didn't wear a wire-rimmed reading glasses and had never been that weak-willed. He didn't know why though, but he suddenly had this nagging feeling in his mind that made him want to defend this girl much like how he wanted to protect Nunally. And it was a shock since he didn't even recognize her. In any case, he couldn't just stand here and do nothing.

"Go ahead," he said quietly to Rolo. "I'll take care of this."

"Nii-san?" the assassin frowned in confusion.

"I'll be fine. Tell Villetta I'll be late."

With that, he started to walk away, leaving no room for argument. As he approached the students, he began to catch bits of their conversation and observe the situation more clearly.

"Please! L-Let me go!" the Eleven whimpered and clutched her bag tighter against her chest.

"We will... if you give us your money," a Britannian scowled.

"Yeah! Don't you know this hallway is not toll-free? You need to pay!" the second of the trio slammed his palm beside her head.

"I-I didn't know!" the girl began to cry in earnest. "I just transfered into this school yesterday!"

"Excuses!" the tallest one in the middle, obviously the leader, bellowed. "Newly transfered or not, you stupid Elevens must go by the rules: our rules!"

"But I have no money!"

"Then give us your lunch," the leader smirked.

"L-Lunch?" she gulped. "I-It's not enough f-for three persons. And it's Japanese food. You wouldn't like it."

The term 'Japanese food' seemed to worsen their mood even more, and the trio made disgusting expressions at the word.

"Ugh! What a useless bitch!"

In anger, the leader finally raised his right hand, poised to strike down the poor girl. In an instant, the Eleven slid down to the ground and sobbed louder as she covered her head with the bag. Unfortunately, it was soon yanked away from her, spilling the contents on the floor. With the leering faces of the Britannians above, she used her arms instead to protect herself, clutching her head and shaking in fear and distress.

"Stupid Eleven!" the leader growled and raised his arms higher. "Just die already!"

He swung. But before his palm could connect, a hand caught his arm and stopped it.

And with his usual arrogant smirk stretching his lips, Lelouch spoke.

"Are you guys so weak that you decided to choose a much weaker individual just to show your strength?" Immediately, the trio spun around and faced the intruder.

"Vice-President!" the one to the right snarled. "Stay out of this!"

"You're ordering me?" the former prince raised an eyebrow while still keeping a firm grip on the leader's wrist.

"We are," he growled. "Or are you forgeting that our fathers are high-ranking officers in the military?"

"Actually, I did forgot," Lelouch admitted. And then his smirk grew wider. "Although forgive me if I did. I do not take the effort to remember fathers whose sons are useless and wimpy."

"You bastard!" the tall leader roared and tried to land a punch with his left hand. Unfortunately, Lelouch kneed him first, sending him wheezing on the floor.

"See?" he sneered and looked down at him. "Pretty weak. And because of that, you are picking on someone much weaker than you."

He narrowed his eyes at the others before turning his gaze to the Eleven behind them still cowering in fear. "Look at her. She's small, barely able to keep her head high. And yet you selected her to demonstrate your own lack of strength. Pathetic!" Lelouch scoffed. "You don't deserve to be the children of generals and commanders. You're just shaming your parents by your actions."

The three Britannians gritted their teeth, looking at him with blazing eyes full of loathing. His words had struck home, and their fists shook with restrained fury at the trueness of it. But they couldn't do anyrhing; it would just make matters worst, and their parents would certainly punish them severely.

The leader growled and slowly stood up. "This is not over, Vice-President," he hissed.

With that, he casted one last dirty look at him before storming off, his lackeys following behind in a hurry.

For a moment, Lelouch watched them with an amused expression. Nobles. Their ego was so bloated it was easy for them to be provoked. Easy to taunt, easy to trick. Fortunately, pick the right words and they would act like enraged monkeys - which did little to their reputation.

He looked down at the girl who was starting to gather her things now that the bullies were gone. She was still shaking from the ordeal, although her sob had already dwindled to a weak hiccup.

"Here," he offered kindly. "Let me help you."

The girl stopped. And for a moment, she was silent as her hand hovered on a textbook. Lelouch wondered if he had said anything wrong; her body was stiff and rigid as a statue. But as he was he about to open his mouth, she spoke in a gentle voice.

"T-Thank you."

For several minutes the two of them gathered her scattered belongings. Throughout the short interaction, the girl had become silent, and Lelouch was puzzled once more. He expected her to strike a conversation with him just like the others he had helped before. Perhaps it was because he was a Britannian? That might be it, but he was not sure. Plus, she still kept her head bowed, as if she didn't want him to see her face, which greatly added to the mystery.

Finally, he picked up the last item and they both stood up. Clutching her bag she accepted it gratefully, mumbling her thanks while keeping her head lowered.

"What's your name?" Lelouch asked out of curiousity. It would be good to remember it in case those three students harassed her again.

Once more she was silent. Shaking his head, Lelouch opened his mouth to tell her it's alright if she didn't want to say it, but shut them closed as soon as she spoke.

"Haruna. Haruna Mase."

Lelouch smiled and offered his hand. "Lelouch Lamperouge."

This time, she finally lifted her head. And when she did, he finally saw her face clearly.

A pair of hazel eyes brimming with tears gaze at him with gratitude. However, it was her gentle smile that made him froze on his spot - it was filled with longing and a sense of familiarity, as if she personally knew him despite this being their first meeting.

"Nice to meet you, Lelouch Lamperouge."

And with a respectful dip of her head, she finally walked away, leaving the Britannian prince more confused than he already was.

* * *

 **Another fairly short chapter, although this one is twice the length of the prologue. I was, and quite still, busy with rewritting my main WIP(which is still not finished). Plus, I am emotionally and mentally stressed these past few days, so please forgive me if this chapter is roughly written. Again.**

 **Anyway, regarding the previous chapter, I seem to have made a mistake in the timeline. So let me clarufy again. This is set post-R1 and after Suzaku's welcome back party, but BEFORE the Black Knights tried to retrieve Nunally en route to Japan. Hope that clears it up. :)**

 **Well, that's it. I don't know when I could update again, but hopefully before the second week of June. In any case, please Read & Review!**

 **Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

Turn 03

By the time Lelouch reached the SIS command center, Rolo and Villetta were already inside.

He found the two in deep conversation, though with hushed tones that made him wonder if the topic was related to him in some way. They seemed to be arguing over something important, and judging by Rolo's deep frown and slight scowl, while Villetta had an exasperated but satisfied expression, it was not hard to guess who was winning the argument. But as he strode casually inside, the two stopped abruptly.

"You're late," Villetta frowned, pursing her lips as the former prince sat beside Rolo.

Lelouch smiled. "Hardly. I didn't specify an exact time, did I?" Then he steepled his fingers in a business-like manner. "Now, I hope you finally have some good news for me, Villetta."

His tone and expression were both serious, and he glanced briefly in expectation at the small folder placed on the table. Ever since he had regained control of the Black Knights and took over the Secret Intelligence Service, he had been exerting both organizations' influences in gathering information regarding Nunnally's whereabouts. Though he knew no one in Britannia would disclose it that easily, he was hoping that SIS' direct connection with the Emperor would help. Unfortunately, it was not the case. And during the past few days, Villetta couldn't provide even a slightest hint of his sister's location.

However, today seemed to be his lucky day.

"Very well," the Britannian agent nodded and slid the folder towards him. "There's your good news."

He caught it in instant, holding his breath while picking it up with trembling fingers. He already had a guess what the files contained, and his excitement nearly made him fumble a bit. Carefully, he opened the folder and came upon a page with a complete information of the Princess of Britannia - including her schedule for the whole month.

"Everything you need to know is in there," Villetta explained. "Location, daily routines, even her flight itenerary for her upcoming trip in here."

Flight itenerary. Lelouch repeated that inside his head as he flipped through the pages. Nunnally was in Britannia for the past year, but now she was going to return to Japan as a Viceroy. What's more, she would arrive in two weeks - more than enough time to formulate a plan to get her. And since Villetta was nice enough to include information about lher escorts, it should be easy for him and the Black Knights to intercept her airship.

"Excellent, Villetta. Excellent." A wide grin split his lips as he browsed through the data with an almost hungry expression. Because of his father and Suzaku, Nunnally was taken away from him forcibly. But now, he will rescue her just as he had promised. And this time, he would not let the Lancelot stop him.

"I hope you're satisfied then."

Lelouch looked up, seeing Villetta staring at him rather coldly. "Of course," he smiled and finally closed the folder. "I am more than satisfied."

The woman sighed, but said nothing in response. "Well, will that be all?" she asked.

"For now, yes," the former prince nodded. He couldn't ask more from Villetta considering the information she had just given, and it might endanger his charade if he had the baroness poke around again. Besides, he doubt if the SIS was privy to anything else other than those partaining to their mission.

Then he frowned, and his thoughts suddenly drifted towards the Eleven girl he had met earlier. There was something about her that he couldn't quite place, a nagging feeling at the back of his mind. He felt... drawn somehow. As if he had already met her before.

"What do you think of the status quo in this school? About the way the Elevens are being discriminated?"

Those words escaped Lelouch's lips before he could even catch himself, prompting him to sigh in irritation. It was said out of instinct, and he almost wanted to punch himself for thinking like that; he may be Zero who wished nothing more than for Japan to be saved and Britannia to burn to the ground, but he was also Lelouch Lamperouge who cared little to the policies of the school as long as it didn't bother him and his plans.

And yet, he couldn't help but feel some sympathy towards the Eleven students who were being bullied on a daily basis. He hadn't really payed much attention to it before, but the incident with that girl seemed to have opened his eyes, if only for a little bit.

Villetta stopped midway from standing up before straigthening and crossing her arms. Lelouch knew he had asked the wrong person - she was Britannian, after all. And it was obvious who she would be siding with.

"You do realize you are asking a Britannian, right?" she rose an eyebrow and paraphrased his thoughts.

"A Britannian who had spent time, and quite possibly a few hours of it in bed, with an Eleven," Lelouch responded with a knowing smirk. Beside him, Rolo grimaced at the abrupt bluntness.

"Is this about the girl from the hallway?" he leaned in and whispered.

However, his pseudo-brother didn't answer, keeping his eyes fixed on Villetta instead. The glare he was receiving could have put Kallen's into shame, and he was quite enjoying how the woman struggled to keep her composure. It seemed he had been right in his previous assumption; Villetta still has feelings for Ohgi.

For a moment, the baroness was silent. Lelouch wondered briefly if she would even answer the question, and he was ready to dismiss it instead. Until at last, Villetta regained her bearings and replied in a soft voice.

"Do you really want to know?"

"I'm merely curious," the former prince said. "After all, you'r-"

"I don't really see anything wrong with what the Britannians are doing... but I don't see anything right with what is happening with the Elevens either."

Her answer took Lelouch by surprise, and his eyebrows shot upwards. She may not have actually sided with the Japanese students, but neither did she condemn them as well. It was a far cry from what she would have answered if she was still in the Purist Faction, which made him thought if her time with Ohgi had influenced her somehow. Perhaps, her views had changed when he had met the Eleven, and it carried over even after she had regained her memories.

"Are you surprised?" Villetta said with a slightly amused expression.

Lelouch shrugged. "Not really. I just didn't expect you to be quite... fair."

"Am I?" Villetta started to head for the door. "Well, I can't exactly play favourites, can I?" She glanced at him from her shoulders and smiled. "After all, I'm still a _teacher_."

The last word seemed to echo within him even after Villetta left, and he suddenly found himself wincing as a sharp pain assaulted his skull. For a moment, his vision blurred and his surroundings spun. And as he clutched his head in agony, he thought he saw the folder in front of him shifted like a phantom into another image.

A school roll book.

It quickly vanished, however, as if he had simply imagined it. And he was soon back to the present. When he looked around in confusion, he saw Rolo gazing at him worriedly.

"Nii-san, are you okay? You've suddenly turned pale a minute ago."

Lelouch tried to open his mouth to speak, but couldn't find the strength to work his muscle. Whatever happened to him... well, he didn't even know what that was all about. It seemed that Villetta's words triggered something, and his reacted immediately. But as to why, or even what prompted him to experience a headache, he had no idea. Perhaps it was a remnant of his father's memory alterations? He should ask C.C. about it later.

"I'm alright," he muttered. It was not really a lie, but not quite the truth either; he still felt dizzy... and confused. "Rolo, could you please leave me for a moment? I just need to talk with someone."

"Are you sure, Nii-san?" Rolo asked, still worried. "You're still quite pale."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lelouch waved his hand dismissively and straightened up as if nothing had happened. "I'll be alright in a minute," he smiled reassuringly.

For a moment, his fake little brother stared at him in concern. Then Rolo sighed, "If you say so."

He stood up, but Lelouch grabbed his right hand and thrusted the folder to him. "Take this back to my room, will you?"

Rolo blinked once, then glanced down at the folder with a blank expression. "Yes, Nii-san," he nodded obediently and took it before finally heading outside the hallway.

As soon as he was gone, Lelouch slumped in his chair in exhaustion. He suddenly felt very weak even though he had not done much physical activities during the day, and his head throbbed slightly in pain. Furthermore, the nagging feeling at the back of his mind had seemingly grown stronger, gnawing at his subconsciousness almost like a parasite. And whatever it was, only C.C. could help him understand.

Rubbing his temples, Lelouch took put his phone and sent a coded message to his confidante. But as he waited for her to respond, his thoughts went back to that image he had seen.

Was it just him, or did he somehow remembered using one such roll book?

* * *

 **Another really short chapter, but I felt like I should post this as a tribute to the release of Assassination Classroom's final episode.**

 **I'll post the next one with the next three days, and it will be much longer. For now, sorry for such a short progress in the story. I will, however, be rewriting this very soon and compiling the chapters. Probably ine one large prologue. Hence, no chapter titles in the meantime.**

 **Please Read & Review!**

 **Until next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

Turn 04

Something was very wrong with the school, and Milly Ashford was not happy.

The blonde Ashford heiress hummed, pacing around the student council room with her arms crossed, deep in thought. She was starting to hate how things worked in her family's academy; Britannian students were always bullying the poor Elevens, and no one was batting an eye. Not even her grandfather, the headmaster himself.

Of course, she understood very well why this was happening. The Ashfords had been disgraced ever since Lady Marianne's death, leading to the downfall of their family and the waning of their political influence. Ruben K. Ashford had to please the families of the Britannian students then or else they wouldn't be able to entice a prospective husband for Milly to marry and regain nobility staus. It left a bad taste in their mouth utilizing this kind of method; they may be Britannians, but they were human beings as well. And boasting of their social superiority was not something they would usually do.

Unfortunately, they couldn't do much other than to remain as neutral as possible without compromising the safety of both parties. The school body generally let the self-proclaimed Ashford Self Defense Force do what they want as long no students were harmed and the school wouldn't be dragged to whatever scandal they may have in the future. It might not be enough, but it served to keep the ASDF from taking more drastic actions while the Ashfords stay in the middle ground.

But there lay the problem; though the ASDF were strictly prohibited to inflict physical injuries, they were not forbidden from implementing other methods - namely, bullying.

She would always notice it even though she took great care not to pay attention. Eleven girls were often verbally harassed, and picked on, especially the vertically challenged ones. And she kept witnessing boys being shoved unceremoniously without reason by passing Britannians. It made her blood boil seeing her fellow students become a subject of discrimination, and there were times when she wanted to use her influence as Student Council President to stop the harassments.

However, Milly knew the possible repurcussions should she attempt that, and there was nothing else she could do except to shut her mouth and keep walking as if nothing was happening. This was one of the reasons she frequently hosts festivals and school activities. Because those were the only times when the Elevens could enjoy being a student, even if only for a day. And as their beloved Prez, it was her job to give them that.

"You know, Milly, pacing around in circles will not help you solve your problems."

Milly glanced to her left where Lelouch was sitting opposite Suzaku, reading a recipe book. Beside him, his ever-present little brother, Rolo, sat with a reserved expression, twirling the heart-shaped locket attached to his cellphone.

The heiress shook her head. "No, it won't. Not unless you could suggest an idea on how to reduce the ASDF's bullying on the Elevens."

With a sigh, Lelouch said without looking at her, "Milly, this is your school. Not mine. I'm just the Vice-President of the student council. Even if I tell you a dozen ways to help the Elevens, nothing would change if you do not want to listen."

"But that's just it!" she exclaimed. "You are my Vice-President, so you should help me fix this! When I graduate from this school, you'll be taking my place."

"I plan not to," Lelouch grunted before closing the recipe book. Turning toward her with a serious expression, he said, "You sure you want my advice?"

"Yes."

"Then tell your grandfather to disband the ASDF and prevent the Britannians from harassing the Elevens. Threaten them with expulsion if necessary."

There was a long silence. On the corner, Arthur mewled as if in agreement.

Surprisingly, it was Suzaku who reacted first. "But that would mean angering the families of the students!" he protested. "And in turn, it will just worsen the situation between the Japanese and Britannians! They will harass them even more."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "And what would you suggest, Suzaku? That we let your beloved people be discriminated?"

"Of course not! But neither do I want more conflicts between them!" Suzaku turned to Milly. "President, If I may suggest? Why not have the Japanese students interact more with the Britannians? Let them do joint activities. Group studies and research. Things like that."

"How can they study together if the textbooks themselves are biased against the Elevens?" Lelouch snorted. "Besides, I doubt if it will work. As long as the ASDF is here, nothing will work."

"You can't remove them entirely, though. They need protection as much as the Elevens do."

"Protection?!" Lelouch's voice rose in disbelief. "Since when did Britannians need protection against the very people they had subjugated?"

"You can't be too sure!" the Knight said. "Look at the Black Knights! At Zero! Who would have thought that a mere resistance cell will turn into a large scale terrorist group that has killed thousands and nearly captured Tokyo from Britannia?"

For a moment, Milly thought she saw a hint of hatred flashed across Lelouch's expression. But it soon vanished, as if she had just imagined it.

"What does the Black Knights have to do with the situation in this school?" he demanded.

"Nothing! It's just an example!"

"Then choose an appropriate one! Besides, it's not as if the Elevens will stage a revolt inside the school, will they? Especially not if the hero who should be protecting them is also an Honorary Britannian and a Knight of the Round."

This time, it was Suzaku's turn to flush red in anger. "What does my position have to do with this?"

"Nothing!" the exiled prince snapped, mimicking the Knight's earlier response. "It's just an example."

"Lelouch, I'm not protecting the Britannians!"

"Didn't say you were."

"But you were implying it!"

"You also implied that the Elevens might revolt!"

"No, I did not!"

"Yes, you did!"

Milly glanced between her arguing friends in bewilderment. She didn't expect that asking for advice would lead to this! And now, it seemed that the situation was giving her an idea of what would happen should she improve the relationship between the Japanese and Britannian students.

Are we really that different from each other? She thought.

When she couldn't bear to see the two having a shouting match anymore, and when she saw that Rolo was just sitting there watching silently, the Ashford heiress finally had had enough. Slamming her palms on the table, she shouted, "TIMEOUT!"

It had the effect she wanted. Suzaku and Lelouch both stopped with their mouth partially opened and quickly turned to look at her. Expressions of anger immediately morphed into embarassment, then shame. Subdued, the two looked away from her, avoiding eye contact with each other.

Milly smiled. "Now that was not so hard, was it?"

A quick shake of their head was the only answer she received.

Sighing, Milly sat down and rubbed her temples. "Lulu, Suzaku, if you two are going to help me, please don't do it by arguing, okay? This is the very situation I want to avoid with our fellow students. And you boys should be an example. However, if you two are having arguments too, then nothing will really change in this school. Do you guys understand?"

"Yes, President."

When it was apparent that neither of the two would speak unless asked to, Milly shook her head once more. Boys, she thought. If only Shirley was here, things wouldn't have gotten out of hand. But the young Fenette was doing an errand for her father. She missed the days when Nina and Kallen were still around, thus balancing the ratio of girls and boys in the student council; it seemed females were the only ones who thought rationally nowadays, and boys had nothing else in their brain except flaunting their egos.

She needed someone to help her. A like-minded individual who valued the students, no matter what position they held in society. And it had to be another girl to balance the council. Preferably a stranger because she doubt if any of her friends thought the same as her.

Suddenly, as if someone had just answered her prayer, she heard a knock on the door. It opened a fraction of an inch, and someone spoke between the crack.

"I-Is this the student council room?"

Milly turned toward the sound with excitement. It was unmistakably the voice of a girl. A girl!

Instead of answering, she quickly stood up and strode toward the door, throwing it wide open and greeting the person with a wide smile.

Her smile slowly turned into a surprised and startled expression.

The girl was an Eleven. A foot shorter than her, she was a pretty little girl with wavy, black hair and hazel eyes. She had a timid air surrounding her, and a shyness that seemed adorable for her appearance. Sadly, she realized how hard it may had for her to study on the school; the girl had fulfilled more than one of the criterias for the ASDF to bullly an Eleven.

"Yes! How may your President help you?" Despite her initial shock, Milly tried to look as friendly as she could. No doubt, the girl was probably thinking that the student council president was worse than the regular Britannian students.

"Um, are you President Milly?" she mumbled, keeping her gaze directed on the floor. She hugged a folder tightly to her almost non-existent chest, as if afraid of losing it.

"Yes, sweetie," Milly said with a smile. "Do you need something?"

Fumbling with her words, the girl replied, "W-Well, Secretary Rivalz asked me to deliver this to you." She offered the folder with trembling hands.

"Oh. Are these the documents detailing the school's annual budget?" Milly took the folder and opened it, peering inside.

"I think..." The Eleven girl seemed uncertain.

"Mmmm," the President nodded as she pulled out a paper and read the content. "Yup, these are definitely about the annual budget."

"Milly?"

The Ashford heiress glanced back over her shoulder and saw Lelouch frowning at her. "Ah, Lulu. Do you mind if you help me review these? Rivalz has just finished calculating our budget for next year."

"Sure. But..." His gaze seemed to look past her. Recognition flashed in an instance across his face, then his eyes widened in surprise. "Haruna?"

The Eleven girl stepped back with a startled expression. "Mister Lelouch?"

"Wait! You two know each other?" Milly glanced between the two of them.

For a moment, both were silent. "Yes," Lelouch nodded after a minute. Without hesitation, he quickly told her what happened.

When he was finished, Milly closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. It's getting worst, she thought. The ASDF was getting bolder. Sooner or later, they would resort to physical abuse; she had to prevent that from happening.

But how?

Milly opened her eyes. Smiling apologetically at the girl, she said in sympathy, "Sorry to hear about what happened earlier. The ASDF are really like that to newcomers. Although," and here she frowned, "this is the first time they have harassed an Eleven in that way."

There was no logic behind it. But then again, there had never been any logic to the actions of the Britannian students toward the Elevens.

"In any case," Milly smiled once more, "I hope you'll be alright soon. It takes time, but eventually you'll get used to situations like that in here."

The girl nodded, but remained silent.

As she continued to gaze at the girl, an idea suddenly struck Milly. It seemed absurd... no, it was absurd. But it may be the only way, the solution to her dilemma.

Her mind raced as she glanced all over the girl's body. She was really small, but that didn't matter to what she had in mind. Her being an Eleven would certainly cause problems, and that was one reason why she had to do it.

"Say, why not come inside...Haruna, was it? I'll introduce you to some of the council."

The girl immediately squeaked in fright. "Is it ok with you? They might-"

"Oh, come on! There's no harm to it, is there?" Without waiting for a response, Milly grabbed the girl in the right hand and dragged her inside.

The introduction was short, and in Lelouch's case, none since they already knew each other. Suzaku didn't seemed to mind a fellow Eleven in the room, and they had quickly conversed in their native language, albeit in quiet voices. The only one who looked indifferent was Rolo, though he kept glancing at Haruna, as if he found her unsettling.

When they were finally done, Milly cleared her throat to gather their attention. What she was about to say could prove shocking, and she had to be careful if she didn't want them to faint.

"So, Haruna, would you like to become a member of the student council?"

A deep silence engulfed the room, and Milly could have sworn her friends were all living statues when they remained still for over a minute. As the clock continued to tick and a minute passed, Haruna finally broke the silence.

"J-J-Join the Student Council?" she stammered. "But why?"

"Yes, Milly," Lelouch said in disbelief and annoyance. "Why indeed?"

Suzaku shook his head as well and protested, "President, stpp joking! How can Haruna join us if she's a Japanese?"

"You are an Eleven as well, aren't you, Suzaku?" Milly smiled widely, though her voice was laced with a cold edge. When the only response she had received was a groan, the heiress crossed her arms over her bust and sighed.

"Look, boys," she began, "I know it seems absurd, but this might be the only way to stop the ASDF from harassing anymore Japanese students. If another Eleven joins us, one that is not an Honorary Britannian, we may be able to change their views about them."

"And how do you expect to do that?" Suzaku asked. "You know how much the two hates each other!"

At this, Milly hesitated. "Well, that's up to Haruna now, isn't it?" She turned and smiled at the girl.

Haruna gulped. "Me? But I only know how to cook desserts. I don't think it would help at all."

"Nonsense," Milly said with a huff and a wave of her hand. "The fact that you can cook already means a lot. Most of the boys here has a sweet tooth, believe it or not."

Of course, said boys included Lelouch himself. Though the former prince had no clue at all, but Milly knew that he kept a stack of chocolates hidden somewhere within his room.

"So, what kind of desserts do know how to cook?" She asked, interested.

Haruna hesitated for a second. Then in a small voice that Milly almost missed her answer, the girl said, "Pudding."

The Ashford's eyebrows rose, even as Lelouch perked up in interest. "Well, what a coincidence! I know two people who loves pudding. And guess what? One of them is Lelouch."

Haruna looked at Lelouch with an odd expression. "You like pudding?" she said. Strange enough, Milly detected a subtle hint of amusement in her voice.

The exiled prince shrugged. "I always make some for... Rolo, whenever I'm not busy." Beside him, Rolo nodded wordlessly. "But yes, I like pudding."

Milly could have just imagined it, but she thought she saw a faint smile touched Haruna's lips. But that's not all. Her expression had changed in a flash, filled with something close to longing and joy.

"So am I," she said softly.

Then it vanished as if it was never there at all, and she wondered at what she had seen. Ah, perhaps I'm just sleepy and tired, she thought.

"Well, that settles it, then!" she clapped her hands and grinned. "We'll change how the ASDF think of the Elevens through the power of pudding!"

Even as she said this, she was already forming ideas in her head. There were a lot of things they could do; Eat-All-Pudding-You-Can Day; Pudding Festival; cooling giant puddings. The possibilities were endless!

Off to the table, Suzaku groaned as he seemingly percieved the ideas Milly had.

"So," the Ashford heiress dared to ask one last time, "Haruna, do you want to join the Student Council?"

This time, the girl answered without hesitation.

"Yes."

* * *

 **Argh! Sorry for the long delay and short chapter! Real life got in the way, as usual. T_T ThaT,**

 **and I'm starting to write my first original novel. So I've been bust lately.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, short as it was. I'm not really sure when I can update this, but I'll try before the second week of December. Hopefully. XD**

 **Please Read & Review! **

**Until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

Turn 05

"So you've decided to recruit an Eleven into the Student Council."

It was not a question, and Milly knew it. If she didn't know her grandfather very well, she would have been surprised at how quickly he had learned about Haruna's induction. As it was, very few things happened in the school that the elderly Ashford wouldn't know about.

"Yes, grandfather."

Her reply was short and to the point. There was no use for reasons or arguments as her grandfather didn't tolerate those. For Ruben K. Ashford, only the facts mattered.

Standing in front of his desk and seeing his back turned toward her while he faced the window, Milly could not help but grimace. Amid the silence that pervaded the room after she had answered, she could easily sense her grandfather's mood. He was not angry—his temper wouldn't rise at the slightest provocation—but Milly could feel a great disappointment coming from the old headmaster. It was obvious by the stiff posture of his body, his spine straight as a steel rod.

Milly bit her bottom lip. She wanted to be the one to bring the news to her grandfather first, but circumstances brought the tidings to him before she could do it. Now, she had to face the full force of his displeasure without proper excuses. Not the first time she had, fortunately. Every time she would turn down a candidate for her marriage, the elderly Ashford would always be displeased.

"Why did you do it, Milly?"

She hesitated. Why did she do it, really? It was certainly quick and sudden, a decision made right on the spot, an action not unusual for her. She always did things on a whim, and many could attest to that. It didn't help that the boy she thought was smarter than her had not even bothered to help her sort the problems in the school she faced. Not to mention, she just wanted to stop the fighting between her fellow students.

But were those valid reasons?

Then she remembered the brief argument between Lelouch and Suzaku. And she realized at once why she had invited Haruna in the first place.

Taking a deep breathe, she finally answered, "Grandfather, I know what I did will cause the majority of the Britannian students and their families to think less of us. But I did what I have to. I invited the girl because I think it will help me bridge the gap between the Japanese and Britannians, even if it is only in this school."

If her grandfather was surprised at how she used the word "Japanese" instead of the name Britannia had replaced it with, he didn't show it. Instead, the old headmaster chuckled and said with a hint of amusement, "A gap that stems from our natural hatred of all those we deem lesser and weaker than us."

"Does it really have to be that way, though?" Milly said softly, casting her gaze down on the floor with a sigh.

"It is the way Britannia works, my dear grandchild," the headmaster said. "You of all people should know that by now."

"Yes," Milly's voice suddenly had a sharp edge. "Because we Ashfords have been treated the same."

She hated the way many people looked down on her family just because they were no longer nobles. And she hated even more the fact that her grandfather had to marry her off to someone with a nobility status just to regain the prestige and title her family had once held. Was a person's status in society really a testament of one's capabilities? She didn't think so. The late Empress Marianne vi Britannia was once a commoner, but that didn't stopped her from being a Knight of Three, and ultimately, an Empress of the most powerful nation in the world.

"A harsh treatment it may be, but a justified one nevertheless," he said. "Britannian politics has always been a bloody game, and we should be glad we were not killed. I've seen many of my friends suffered such a misfortune." There was a pause, and he glanced over his shoulders.

"It didn't have to do anything with the young prince and the knight, does it?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"No, grandfather," Milly shook her head. "It's..." she stopped mid-sentence, then sighed and finally admitted, "Well, those two might have influenced my decision just a bit. But they are not the cause."

"Is that so?" he regarded her for a moment. After a while, Ruben Ashford turned away, returning his gaze outside the window once more.

Minutes passed, and the headmaster remained silent throughout. Milly shifted uneasily on her feet. She knew her grandfather always thought over things for long periods of time, but she was getting impatient. She still had a lot of work to do; preparations for the school event she was planning to host in three days.

At last, Ruben Ashford finally turned around to face her, revealing the aged face of a man with merry dark blue eyes that bespoke of a great intellect and wit, but hid a steely personality underneath. "Very well, Milly, I will let this pass."

Milly sighed in relief. "Thank you, grandfa—"

"But," he interrupted her with slightly narrowed eyes, "do not presume that the noble families would as well. They will not take this lightly, and I'm certain I will find many complaints tomorrow, if not today."

The implications of what he said was not lost on Milly, and she balled her hands behind her, but remained calm and composed. "I will take responsibility for everything that may happen, grandfather."

"As I know you would," he mused. "Just remember, you are our only hope to regain our lost honor. Never forget that."

"I won't," she murmured, looking down to hide the sad expression she wore.

"Very well, you may go now."

With a wave of his hand, Ruben Ashford finally dismissed her. Bowing her head, Milly said, "Thank you, headmaster," then spun on her heels and exited through the oaken doors.

* * *

Despite Lelouch's initial misgivings, Haruna actually proved to be an excellent addition to the student council.

Her earlier statement about not being good in anything else except in baking pudding was a complete lie. She was a hard worker, and even though she had just been a member several hours ago, the Eleven already did more than what the entire council could have done in the same timeframe. She had finished helping him and Rivalz review the club budget, much to the latter's relief. And to think that her worst subject was Math, as she had revealed the moment Milly requested her assistance.

Not only that, but she was good in most subjects as well... and kind. So good and kind, in fact, that he managed to convinced her to do his homework for him without even using his Geass.

Oh yes! Milly really did made the right choice. Now, he was free to formulate his plan to rescue Nunnally without being burdened by assignments.

With a small grin, he twirled the Black King chess piece in his fingers. Sitting alone in a secluded corner of the library, close to the secret entrance leading to the SIA headquarters below the campus, it was the perfect location to brainstorm ideas. Quiet without anyone nearby to bother him; just what he needed to plot his schemes. Moreover, as his spot was cleverly hidden by a large bookshelf, it would be hard for any of his friends to locate him.

"LELOUCH LAMPEROUGE!"

Except for Shirley, that is.

Like a shrieking banshee, her voice rang throughout the library. Quickly peeking around the side, Lelouch saw her standing in the doorway with a scowl, Haruna close behind wearing an expression of embarrassment. Already, a few students were giving them heated glares, and he caught a glimpse of the librarian approaching the two girls, an angry look on her face.

Jumping to his feet, Lelouch relocated to another table as fast as he could, further away from the hidden elevator. Even though there was only a minuscule chance that either of the two would discover the secret entrance, he didn't want to take the risk. It was a necessary precaution, too; if they actually find it, or anyone else for that matter, by some cruel joke of fate, he would not be suspected of possessing any knowledge regarding the elevator. The only person he had to worry about was Suzaku. But since he had Villetta, Rolo, and the SIA wrapped around his fingers, the Knight of Seven would not suspect anything.

He heard the librarian threatened the girls of being banned from the library. Shirley apologized, promising to never shout again. Then there were hurried footsteps, and a pissed off Shirley appeared around the corner.

"There you are," she said with a glare. Beside her, Haruna busied herself looking down on the floor, clutching a stack of papers which, upon taking a look, Lelouch realized were his assignments.

Comprehension dawned on him in an instant. Managing an innocent smile that feigned ignorance, Lelouch said, "Ah, Shirley! What brings you here?"

She scowled once more, and marched toward him. "Is it true that you asked Haruna to do your assignments for you?"

Lelouch smiled wider. "Ah, about that—"

"Is it true, Lelouch?" she repeated with more force in her voice.

He flicked his gaze toward Haruna who expertly avoided it by pretending to read one of his essays. Out of the corner of his eyes, he caught several of the students whispering and pointing in their direction. He was sure that by tomorrow morning, him, Shirley, and Haruna would be the primary subjects of rumors and gossips.

Seeing no escape from this mess, Lelouch sighed in defeat and finally admitted, "Yes."

For a moment, Shirley could only gape at him like a fish out of water. "Lelouch!" she said before smacking him on the head with a book from a nearby shelf.

"Shirley!" the former prince yelped and quickly placed some distance between him and his friend while rubbing his head. "What was that for?"

"What was that for?" she hissed. "You idiot! Sneaking away during the middle of class to gamble, I can let pass. Prioritizing your addiction to playing chess over your studies, I can also let pass. But asking someone to do your assignments for you just so you can gamble is going too far!"

Lelouch winced. Shirley's voice rose at the last sentence, and he was sure the librarian would ban her now. But more than that, he was also certain that Shirley would be more watchful of his activities, something he didn't ever wanted. The last thing he needed was another pair of eyes tracking his every movement.

"Shirley, let me explain," Lelouch tried to placate the young Fenette, to no avail.

"I don't need your explanation," she snapped. "What is wrong with you, Lelouch? It's your job to set an example for Rolo. But here you are foregoing your education just to gamble. Not only that, but you are being a bad influence by taking him along with you during your gambling sessions! That's not what a brother should do!"

If not for the fact that the situation would only get worse, Lelouch almost gave in to the temptation to tell Shirley that he didn't care what could happen to Rolo considering the assassin was not even related to him, and that his education was next to useless in his goal to obliterate Britannia. But he controlled himself, simply adapting an apologetic look.

"Sorry," he muttered.

With a huff, Shirley said, "No, don't say sorry to me. Apologize to Haruna instead."

Lelouch blinked, then sighed. Fine. If that's what would make his friend stop, he'll do it. Grumbling to himself, he addressed the Eleven with a forced smile, "Sorry about that, Haruna. I promise it won't happen again." Still smiling, he glanced at Shirley as if to say, "Happy now?"

Haruna finally looked at him, her expression slightly amused. "It's alright, Mister Lelouch. I'm glad to be able to help in any way I can."

Lelouch frowned. "Why are you calling me, 'Mister'? You're making it sound like I'm older than I really am."

"It's been the same with me. She's always calling me, 'Miss Shirley'," Shirley stared at Haruna, perplexed. "Why is that, Haruna?"

The girl hesitated, then cast a furtive glance over her shoulders toward the other Britannian students nearby before saying, "Well, 'Mister' is the closest equivalent to our honorific '-san', and you know we can't say that anymore." She lowered her gaze in sadness.

"Ah." Understanding crossed Lelouch's expression. When Britannia had conquered Japan, the word 'Japanese' was not the only thing that was stripped away from the proud nation; anything to do with Japan as a whole had been as well. That included their use of honorifics; their culture and traditions; their manga and anime; the use of their songs and national anthem; even food. Everything that defined them had been forbidden, and they had been living as a husk of their former selves since then.

"But that's not really a strict rule, right?" said Shirley, glancing at Lelouch. "I mean, Rolo calls him 'Nii-san' all the time."

"Privately, yes, it's not a strict rule," the Eleven girl said. "But in public and to the ears of most Britannians. . ."

Her voiced trailed off as she left that last part of her sentence unspoken, but Lelouch understood the meaning nonetheless. There was a punishment for violating the rules implemented to the Japanese; the worst was a public execution. If they so much as uttered a single word in Nihonggo, their native language, or write in Kanji, they would be immediately arrested, placed on trial, and depending on the gravity of the offense, would either spent many years in jail or be put to death.

"Aren't you an Honorary Britannian?" asked Shirley.

On the other hand, Honorary Britannians were less bound by these laws, though they still had to abide by it. Suzaku once told Lelouch, before he became a Knight of the Round, he was still able to speak in Nihonggo to his fellow countrymen without receiving punishment. Of course, they had to do it when no pure-bloods were around, but they didn't had to fear death, unlike the non-Honoraries.

"No," Haruna shook her head. "My family chose to remain as regular citizens, even if we have to live in the ghettos. Besides, I don't think I'll accept if someone offered. It's wrong to swear loyalty to another country just to be able to practice your homeland's traditions without receiving punishment. That will only defeat the purpose."

"Oh."

Sympathy welled up inside Lelouch. This was Britannia's way of killing the citizen's patriotism of the country they had invaded; by removing their own identities. They were many who had little to none in the first place, and the empire had quickly established their dominance on those countries, forcing their own culture which the people had embraced with open arms. But for Japan who had a long history and whose citizens still had the blood of the samurais, patriotism was one thing they would never cast away, even if it meant secretly practicing their traditions and fighting their oppressors, no matter the cost. Hence, the abundance of terrorist groups and resistance cells like the Order of the Black Knights and Japanese Liberation Front.

And the reason why Zero existed in the first place.

"Well, in that case, there's nothing to fear," Lelouch said. "We won't report you, and I'm sure the others won't try anything now that you are part of the student council. You could use honorifics, if you really want to."

Haruna smiled, but shook her head. "I'd rather not. I don't want to cause any more trouble. Just inviting me to the council is already bad enough for the President."

"Even if an Honorary Britannian, and a Knight of the Round at that, is one of the members?" said Shirley..

"Even more so," the girl nodded. "Sir Kururugi already did a lot for his countrymen by becoming their hero. I wouldn't want to undermine his reputation, and waste all his efforts."

"Well, if that's what you really want. . ." Shirley's voice trailed off, then she chuckled. "But please, drop the 'Mister' and 'Miss' already, okay? We are not that old yet. Just call us by our names."

"Is that really okay?" Haruna seemed uncomfortable at the idea.

"Of course," answered Lelouch this time. "We are not strict about such pointless things."

For a moment, Haruna looked like she would still refuse. But then she finally smiled and said, "Well, if you say so. . . Lelouch."

"See? That sounds better already!" beamed Shirley. "And now that's settled. . ." With a sickeningly sweet smile, she turned to Lelouch.

At once, Lelouch felt a chill crawl down his spine. The stack of papers Haruna was holding—his assignments, he remembered just now—had became suddenly clearer, and Shirley's smile widened as she followed his gaze. And when the former prince's eyes darted toward Haruna, he was even more alarmed to find the Eleven smiling in a similar way.

Lelouch began to back away, chuckling nervously. "Oh! Look at the time!" He glanced at the library clock and feigned shock. "I still have to pick up Rolo by the school entrance!"

"Why? So you could take him on a gambling session again?" Shirley's voice was dangerously sharp.

"Well, no! Of course not! I—

"Good! Because you have a lot of word to do!"

Without waiting for his response, Shirley grabbed his assignments from Haruna and thrusted it forcefully toward his chest. "There! We are not leaving the library until you finish them!"

"All of them?" Lelouch could only whimper.

"Yes! All of them!" she snapped. "And we are not going to help you. On the other hand, we will watch you so you won't be able to ask someone for help."

"But—"

Before he could finish his protest, however, the librarian, a portly woman named Ms. Agatha, approached them. Thankful for the distraction, Lelouch smiled his most charming smile and asked, "Yes, Ms. Agatha? Do you need something?"

The librarian's response made him wished he had just stayed underground in the SIA headquarters.

"Yes, I do," she replied in a harsh voice. "I need you three to leave this library at once."

Lelouch paled. "Why?" he asked despite knowing the answer.

"Why?" Ms. Agatha's wrinkled face contorted into rage. "Let me tell you why!" she boomed in an ear-shattering voice.

"Because you are all banned!"

...

Lelouch thought that the next day would be more kinder to him.

He should have known it would be the exact opposite.

The incident at the library the previous day had taught him three lessons: one, he must not stay anywhere near the vicinity until nobody was around; two, to refrain from devising a plan in a public place such as that; and three, to make sure Shirley would not be able to track him down that easily.

Fortunately, it was not hard to solve the mess he had been thrown in when Ms. Agatha banned them. All he did was convinced the woman to rethink her decision. . . with a little help from his Geass, of course. But then he still had to spend the whole afternoon finishing his assignments under the watchful gazes of Shirley and Haruna. Thus, the better part of his day was wasted on something that would not even help him against his war with Britannia.

So when the following morning came, he had promised to himself that since it was Saturday and he had no classes to attend, he would be locking up inside his bedroom and devote himself into planning the Black Knights' next mission until evening. He even had Rolo told Milly that he was tired from the week's exams and school work, and would not be able to hang out with them.

Then Suzaku, ever the thorn to his side, suggested that the council go out to celebrate Haruna's induction, and his entire schedule for the day was ruined once more by the White Knight.

"Cheer up, Nii-san. It shouldn't take us more than a few hours. You could just return to your assignment later this afternoon."

With a sigh, Lelouch nodded wordlessly to Rolo as they followed their friends. It was near midday, and the group were walking along the wide avenues of the shopping district. They chose to stay back a couple of yards away, just so they could talk quietly in hushed tones without the others hearing them. Despite this, however, Rolo knew better than to be careless, and he did the right thing by using the word 'assignment' to refer to his initial plan.

To distract himself from his irritation and boredom, Lelouch looked around at the shops lining the road. Nothing had changed since the last time he had been here, sadly, which further dampen his already sour mood. Even Milly was not interested, merely smiling whenever Suzaku said something, but otherwise kept walking in silence with a troubled expression.

Only Shirley seemed to be excited, and to some extent, Rivalz, as they walked beside Haruna while pointing and talking about the various shops, since the girl had never been here before. For the most part, the Eleven tried to be attentive and respond whenever the situation called for it. But from the way her hazel eyes darted around in every direction, it was clear she was uncomfortable in a place with large crowds of Britannians.

Concerned, Lelouch called out to her, "You okay, Haruna?"

The girl looked back. "Yes," she answered with a nervous tone. She obviously on edge, her gaze fleeting all over her surroundings, as if she was expecting something bad to happen any moment.

"You sure?" Shirley asked with a worried expression. "Maybe we should not stay where there are many Britannians."

"No. It's alright," she mumbled. "I'm okay, really. I just need to—"

Suddenly, a phone rang. It sounded very close, and it took a moment for any of them to realize it was coming from Haruna's bag.

With a start, the girl opened it and rummaged inside, almost dropping the bag in her haste. Fumbling, she pulled out her cellphone—an outdated device that looked like it was manufactured when a Knightmare Frame was still just a concept—and quickly read a message.

Her eyes widened after a minute, and with trembling fingers she typed something in response, before replacing her phone back on the bag. "I'm very sorry!" she said, suddenly agitated. "I have to go!"

"Why? What's wrong?" Suzaku asked, puzzled.

"Emergency," Haruna said in a hurry. "I'll explain later, but I really have to go. Please." She sounded almost upset.

"Sure, it's alright. You said it's an emergency, so. . ." the Knight of Seven trailed off uncertainly. "But are you going to be okay? We could follow—"

"No!" she shouted, and they were shocked at her reaction. When she realized what she had done, Haruna paled and quickly bowed her head in apology. "I'm so sorry! I do not mean to shout! I was just going to say that I can take care of myself. I'm sorry. I'll be back as soon as possible."

Without waiting for their response, the Eleven finally ran off ahead, turning right at an intersection before disappearing from view.

For a moment, the group was silent. Her departure and change in behaviour was strange to say the least, and Lelouch was confused, as did the others. Haruna's brief outburst was peculiar, and they wondered what could it be that she had to leave in such a hurry.

"What was that about?" Rivalz said in bewilderment.

"She said something about an emergency, right?" Shirley frowned. "Family problems, maybe?"

"I don't know," Suzaku said. After a while, he shook his head. "Well, she said she'll come back and join us later. Let's just wait for her inside the restaurant."

They resumed their walk after that. But no sooner did they got further than a block that Lelouch's phone rang this time, prompting everyone to groan.

"Not again," Rivalz said.

Smiling apologetically, Lelouch fished the device out of his pocket. And just like Haruna, his eyes widened at the name that flashed on the screen.

Q1.

Turning it to the side so that only Rolo could see, Lelouch said, "Sorry, guys. But I also have to go. It seems Ms. Villeta needs something. I'll be back."

Of course, that was a lie. But he had no choice. Besides, he could just ask the woman to cover for him.

"What did she said?" Suzaku said, and Lelouch knew he was asking out of suspicion.

With a smile, the former prince answered, "Ah, well, I'm not really sure. But she mentioned yesterday's incident at the library."

The Knight looked unconvinced, but it seemed he had accepted that lie when he said, "I see." Then he snorted. "Well, don't make her wait any longer. She might punish you with mandatory attendance in her P.E. classes."

Grinning, Lelouch said, "Trust me, I won't."

With a wave of his hand, he finally walked away to find a secluded area where he could talk with Kallen in relative secret.

* * *

Rolo was starting to get suspicious of the Eleven.

Less than a day after she joined the student council, and he already felt as if she was someone he should be wary of. Being a trained assassin, he knew if a person was hiding something. He was sure that Haruna was such a person—everything about her seemed fake. Her movements; her actions and way of speaking. Even her shy and timid personality. The sudden outburst just a few minutes ago had increased his suspicion, for it was the only time that he had seen a genuine reaction from her.

She was hiding something, and she didn't want any of them to find out. He was sure of that.

So when the opportunity came, he excused himself from the others and told them he had to find a comfort room. It was a poor lie, unlike what his brother could have come up with. But it worked. And to ensure Suzaku would not get suspicious, he secretly sent a message informing the Knight of his plan to, supposedly, tail Lelouch and make sure he was not really meeting one of the Black Knights or even C.C., which he had bought almost immediately.

After that, he dashed off ahead, making it appear like he was in a hurry. After making sure nobody was following him, he made a loop back to where they had last been with Haruna and followed her general direction. It was not hard since the street had no intersection, and he quickly reached the part where there were less people, but many alleys; a perfect place for a clandestine meeting.

He scanned the area with trained eyes, searching the crowds for any sign of the girl. It didn't help that she could easily blend in due to her short height, and the fact that she had no remarkable feature that could distinguish her from the rest of the pedestrians and bystanders.

He was so engrossed on his search that he failed to notice he was blocking someone's path, and he ended up bumping into the person. . . except it was not a bump, but more like he crashed headfirst to a wall.

"Oh, sorry!" Rolo apologized quickly.

It was a man. Wearing a black jacket with a cap pulled low over his head to hide his eyes, he was tall—almost at 6 feet, if not more—and muscular. He simply stood there, watching him. But what Rolo found suddenly unsettling was the bearings and aura he exuded.

The bearings and aura of a born fighter; a military man.

The stranger tilted his head up, revealing the handsome face of an Eleven in his late twenties, staring down at him with cold, piercing eyes. At that moment, Rolo felt an unnatural chill in his surroundings the likes of which he had never felt before, and he instinctively gripped the handle of a small knife he always kept hidden in his pocket. But in the deepest corner of his mind, he knew the tiny weapon would be next to useless against the stranger.

Just as he was about to apologize once more, the Eleven grunted and lowered his head. "Watch where you're going next time," he said.

Then he stepped past Rolo and finally continued on his way, the coldness vanishing upon his departure, and left the young assassin trembling to his core.

* * *

 **Whew! Finally done! :D**

 **Just as I promised last chapter, I would be posting another update on the second week of December. And here it is! But that's not all. This is the longest chapter of the series so far!**

 **Anyway, it's almost 4am here so I'll keep this short. My next update would probably be next year this time, around early to mid-January. I still have 2-3 more fanfics to update, and I wanted to release a chapter for each before 2016ends. So for now, be content with that minor cliffhanger of sorts. XD**

 **Well, I hope you enjoyed my early Christmas gift for you guys! Please Read & Review!**

 **Have a blessed Christmast and see you all on 2017!**

 **THAT YEAR WILL SO ROCK!**

 **ALL HAIL LELOUCH! ALL HAIL LELOUCH! ALL HAIL LELOUCH!**


	6. Chapter 6

Lelouch crouched behind a trashcan within a dark alley, poking his head out every so often to check the street for anyone who looked suspicious. He was being careful; though he had the

Intelligence Agency under his command, there was no guarantee that his father would not use another group to monitor him. He was no fool, and it would be stupid of him to think that the Emperor had not anticipated such a scenario. Surely, he had contingency plans in the event that the Agency was compromised.

Glancing outside one last time and seeing nothing unusual, he finally pressed the answer button on his phone and said, "Updates, Q1."

It had been a daily routine for him to receive calls from Kallen regarding the Black Knights' status. Since he could not leave the academy with Suzaku watching him closely like a hawk, he had to leave detailed instructions for them to carry out while he continued his amnesiac and regular student charade. It was tedious and frustrating, but until Sayoko returned to act as his stand-in, he did not have a choice.

"Preparations are still underway," said Kallen through the other end. "We're still gathering our forces, but we'll have enough before the day of the operation. The _Nemo_ will have arrived by that time, too."

Lelouch smiled. The submarine was the only base of operations they had left after the failed Black Rebellion last year, and he was glad that Kaguya managed to flee to the Chinese Federation with it. "Good. That should give us another advantage once our mission begins. Just keep me posted."

"Roger," said Kallen before hanging up, her report finished.

Lelouch sighed, leaning his head on the wall. Two weeks, and he would be reuniting with Nunnally. He both longed and dreaded that day. Though he already wanted to see her, he did not know how she would react once she finds out about everything he did. Would she understand and support him like she always did, or would she despise him? Knowing her, it was probably the latter. Nunnally was far too kind and gentle to accept his actions, no matter his motivation for doing so.

Shaking his head, he stood up. He would face that dilemma once he had her. But for now, he was going to focus on the operation and make sure that Suzaku would not suspect anything. Every time the Knight of Seven was around, his plans would always go awry.

He checked the streets again and saw nothing unusual. He was about to step outside when he heard footsteps behind him.

"Well, well, looks like it's our lucky day today!"

Lelouch whirled around and found three people emerging from within the deeper part of the alley. They wore caps, wrapped-around shades, leather jackets, and they were sneering at him. The one in the middle, the largest of them, was smacking his left hand with a baseball bat.

Gangsters. And from the looks of them, Japanese. But what were they doing here? This part of the city was nowhere near the ghettos.

"Don't worry, kid," the leader said with a grin. "We won't hurt you... much."

He backed away slowly. Just a few more steps and he could escape. His Geass was useless here.

Suddenly, a voice whispered behind him. "Boo."

Lelouch jumped and scrambled in the opposite direction, his eyes wide in shock. The mouth of the alley was blocked by a girl wearing tattered clothes and a knife in her hands. Her wavy black hair obscured her face and her eyes. She was smiling widely in a creepy way, like a psychopath who had just found a new victim to torture.

He pressed himself against the wall, trying to appear afraid as much as he could while racking his brain for a way to escape. Perhaps if he gave them what they wanted, they would leave him alone.

"Don't come any closer or I'll shout for help!" he feigned terror, his voice quavering.

The gangsters advanced. "You know, Britannian, this place here is our turf," the leader said. "And once someone enters here, he won't be able to call for help. Try to scream and we'll smash that handsome face of yours."

Then he laughed. But there was something... unusual about it. Almost like it was forced. Even one of his lackeys grimaced and leaned forward, whispering to his leader's ears. And though it was barely audible, the confined space allowed Lelouch to hear it.

"Seriously, Terasaka, act more like you mean it!"

"I'm trying, idiot!" the leader, Terasaka, hissed back. He looked uncertain now, yet he still kept sneering. "Now, shut up and let me finish." He turned back his attention to Lelouch and smiled. "It seems your luck has ran out, kid!"

Lelouch tensed. "No, please! I'll give you anything you want!" his hand reached for his pocket, pretending to search for his wallet. In truth, he was already dialing Rolo's number in his cell phone.

"We don't want your money," said Terasaka.

"Then what do you want?" asked Lelouch. He had to buy time and keep their attention occupied until Rolo arrived. It was his only chance.

To Lelouch's confusion, however, the gangster leader suddenly stopped sneering and stood a few feet away, just within range of the baseball bat. He seemed to be hesitating, and his body was stiffed. His hands were slightly trembling as he held the bat.

"Stick to the plan, Terasaka." It was the girl. She had remained silent ever since she had appeared behind Lelouch, but now her voice was hard and serious. When he glanced at her, Lelouch noticed that she had already lowered her knife.

Terasaka clenched his jaw and nodded. Grasping the baseball bat in both hands, he muttered, "Sorry... Sensei."

Then he swung at Lelouch's head.

Pure survival instinct kept Lelouch moving. As the baseball bat rushed toward his face, he ducked under the swing and darted past it. It smashed against the wall, but Lelouch sprinted toward the girl. Though she had a knife, Lelouch was confident that he could evade it.

"Kirara, block him!"

The girl immediately barred his way and forced him back with a thrust. As Lelouch stumbled back, his neck tingled and he quickly dropped on one knee. The baseball bat made an arc above his head. He twisted around, his heart hammering inside his chest, and just as the gangster leader reversed his swing, Lelouch stood up and caught it.

Terasaka looked stunned, then the gangster pursed his lips and sent a punch straight at him.

 _Duck._

Lelouch did just that, and the gangster's fist met empty air.

 _Sweep away his feet using my legs._

Before Lelouch could comprehend what he was doing, his body was already moving on its own. He stuck out his left leg and spun in a circle, sending Terasaka toppling on the ground with a curse. His lackeys gasped and stood still.

Lelouch stood up, his chest heaving and his eyes wide in shock. How did he do that? He had little hand-to-hand combat experience, and even during his time in Europe fighting the EU, Suzaku never taught him how to fight. He could not even pass his P.E. tests without getting exhausted.

"Don't just stand there!" roared Terasaka.

That snapped his companions back into their senses. The boys charged at Lelouch while he felt a disturbance in the air behind him. Faster than he thought he could move, Lelouch twisted around and grabbed the girl's wrist then plucked the knife away from her fingers before throwing her toward the other gangsters. She crashed into them with a yelp, and they collapsed on the ground in a heap, groaning and cursing.

Lelouch stepped back and dropped the knife. His hands were shaking, whether from shock or fear he did not know. His mind was sluggish, and he could no longer comprehend what was happening. The only thing he could think of was to run way.

He spun around. However, he had just gotten a few steps when he heard the girl shout, "Terasaka, no!", and pain exploded at the base of his skull, knocking him to the ground.

He fleeted in and out of consciousness, aware of his surroundings yet detached from everything. His vision flickered, and he caught pieces of conversation. But his mind could not register most of them. One thing he knew was he was surrounded by many people.

" _What did you do?_ " a girl yelled. " _We were only suppose to knock him unconscious!_ "

 _"That's what I did!"_

 _"You didn't just do that! You almost killed him!"_

 _"S-Sorry! I didn't realize my swing was too strong!"_

 _"If the others find out about this, Terasaka, they will blow a fuse. Especially_ him."

" _Hey! Don't blame it on me, Yoshida! You and Muramatsu didn't even help!"_

 _"How are we suppose to help if you are going to hit us too?"_

 _"I was nervous, okay?"_

 _"We all were, idiot!_

 _"Don't call me_ _idiot!"_

 _"Enough! Will you three stop it and just help us? Takebayashi, how's he?"_

 _"Not good. He suffered major trauma in the head. I don't know if we've caused any internal bleeding, and I hope we didn't. But the blow was pretty bad."_

 _"Who suggested we used metal baseball bats anyway?"_

 _"I did, remember? Placing the target in a dangerous situation should trigger his combat instincts. We all had talked about this already during the planning stage."_

 _"So it's all thanks to you that he's like this?"_

 _"No, it's thanks to you. You're the one holding the bat, Terasaka."_

 _"Why, you!"_

 _"That's enough! We have to go. The police are coming here soon. Takebayashi, are you done stitching the wound?"_

 _"Yes. Now all we need_ **to** _do was move his body near the alley's entrance._

There were a lot of footsteps and shuffling feet, and Lelouch felt himself being laid down on a cold and hard surface. The footsteps then hurried away, and the last thing he heard before succumbing to darkness was Rolo's frantic shout.

* * *

 **And I'm back. XD Sorry guys for the long wait. I've been focusing on my original novel lately. Anyway, the quality in this chapter is at an all-time low. But I'm planning to change that on the rewrite.**

 **Yes, there IS A REWRITE. I'm just going to finish this so I won't leave you hanging. Don't worry, guys. I will finish this old version until the end of the first act. :)**

 **Well, that's it. Please Read & Review!**

 **Until next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

Turn 07

Fear was something Rolo was not exactly familiar with.

Orphaned at the age of two, taken in by the Geass Order at three, and trained as an assassin by six, he had long forgotten the concept of fear. After performing countless assassination missions, he had already ceased to be afraid. The only time he had felt it sincerely was during the Black Knight's attack on Babel, and even that was simply out of pure reflex from seeing his charge nearly fell to his death.

But right now, for the first time in his life, he knew what it was like to be _terrified_.

It had taken him several minutes to recover from his encounter with that mysterious stranger. His heart was still racing when he resumed searching for Haruna, and sweat beaded his forehead. He tried to control his breathing, letting his pulse slow down. Years of being an assassin taught him many techniques when composing one's self, yet none had prepared him for an incident like this.

Who was that man? Rolo had met a lot of people from the military before, either as allies or targets. However, not one had evoked the same presence as him. The sheer killing intent Rolo had felt was like a tidal that swept his mental fortitude. He never wanted to experence that again.

Suddenly he froze. No, this was stupid. Why was he even acting this way? He had a Geass that could stop a person's perception of time. He did not have to be afraid. If ever he was caught in a same situation, he could just kill the man. It was what he had always done for the last ten years, and it had worked for him all the time. There was nothing to be afraid of.

He paused to take a deep breath, then continued on his way. He had already spent too much time. He had to find Haruna soon.

Rolo spent the next ten minutes looking around the area, checking inside shops and restaurants. He made sure to keep a low profile; he even bought a cap to hide his face. He did not know who would Haruna meet, and he did not want her discovering that he was following her. He was certain that the girl was doing the same thing, keeping her actions discreet.

This part of the shopping district was large. He was having a hard time pushing through the crowds. It was past noon, and people were beginning to flood the streets. Haruna could blend here without difficulty, and he might not even noticed her. He had to get on a higher vantage point, preferably a restaurant with a rooftop overlooking the area. It would offer an excellent view of his surroundings without attracting attention at all.

However, it seemed he did not need to. Just as he freed himself from a particularly large throng of shoppers, Rolo caught a flash of black hair in his peripheral vision. He looked in that direction and saw his target running in a hurry toward a small plaza in the center, her expression serious.

Rolo quickened his pace and watched her carefully. The girl sprinted toward a bench where someone with a cap lounged casually, arms spread on the backrest behind him. From his position, Rolo could see the black shades he wore, concealing his eyes from view. Beneath the cap, a few inches of red hair peeked from view.

Rolo lowered his head and followed Haruna, careful not to let his face be seen. The girl had sat down next to the person, her eyes darting for a moment before opening her mouth to speak. At this distance, Rolo could not hear what she was saying. But as he got closer, he finally caught on to their conversation.

"—should have met him by now." The voice belonged not to a man, but a boy, much to Rolo's shock. He had to be no older than him.

"I'm worried," said Haruna. She wrung her hands in agitation. "It's too soon to be doing this. We should have waited until he's ready."

"Yeah. But someone is getting impatient and we have a timetable to follow." The boy stretched his neck, craning his head toward the sky. "We don't have much time. The sooner we do this, the faster it will be for him to remember."

There was a long pause. Rolo grabbed the opportunity to stalk closer, dropping down to a knee and pretending to brush off dirt from his shoes to avoid suspicion. Part of his mind was wondering what they were talking about, another part was trying to comprehend how the topic related to his Nii-san. They could not be talking about his amnesia. C.C. had already returned Lelouch"s memories.

He was no more than twenty feet away, so he could better hear their conversation now. "Yeah, you're right." Haruna sighed and let her shoulders dropped. "Maybe I'm just worrying for nothing."

"You are. Relax, will you? We've already talked about this. Besides, Sensei can intervene if something ges wrong. It's going to be fine."

"And if it doesn't? We still don't know how he will react."

"As long as he reacts, that's good enough. We just need to trigger his memories. The rest will be up to that."

"I still don't like how we're doing it though," Haruna said with displeasure.

The boy snorted. "Neither do I. But this is the best thing we got. Let's just hope the gang don't mess up."

"Don't jinx it," warned Haruna.

The two fell silent. Rolo stood and strode forward, his face turned away while he whistled as he passed behind them. The conversation really bothered him. It sounded like Haruna was involved in a conspiracy, and Rolo wanted to know if his Nii-san was related somehow. If he was and it proved dangerous… well, they were bound to separate sooner or later. It would be easy to activate his Geass and eliminate these two in a dark alley.

"How's school?" the boy asked after a minute. Rolo became even more alert this time.

"Oh, it's nice," Haruna said. "They invited me to the Student Council."

"You accepted?"

"Of course. It's the only way to get closer." She paused. "The fake little brother seems to suspect something though."

Rolo froze, and it was only due to his well-trained discipline that he was able to resist the urge to whip out his pocket knife and stab Haruna and her friend. _They knew who he was._

"Naturally," the red haired mused. "Be careful around him. We don't want any complications now that we're so close."

"I will." Another long silence followed. Then: "Will that be all? I have to return soon. They might start worrying after me."

"Sure," the boy said, then paused. "Any message you want to say to our little blue snake?"

Haruna hesitated for a second. "Tell him I'm going to be fine. And don't you dare send him to the school," she added with a slight hiss.

The red haired-boy laughed. "Who knows? If this plan fails, sending him in might be our only option."

"You guys just wanted to see him in a skirt again," Haruna grumbled. "I'll keep in touch soon. Just don't do something without me knowing, please?"

"Of course."

Rolo glanced over his shoulders, watching Haruna as she sprinted away from the bench. His eyes followed her for a moment until she disappeared in the distance. Looking around and confirming that no one was nearby, he casually drew his pocket knife.

Lelouch had forbade him from carrying weapons ever since he saved his life, but Rolo was no fool to just forget his training; an assassin should never be without a weapon. Rolo did his best pretending otherwise, though he knew that Lelouch was not a person he could easily tricked. Leloch probably suspected that he still carried a knife.

Rolo approached Haruna's friend from behind, knife in hand. The boy still had not noticed him, humming a tune while relaxing on the bench. Ten steps. That was the distance which separated Rolo from his neck. In a matter of seconds, he would be dead. And then he would go after Haruna next. If they knew who he was, they could not be allowed to live.

Five steps... and Rolo's cellphone rang.

Faster than lightning, Rolo spun around and picked it up, placing the ear piece on his ear while sprinting away to a nearby low tree. He could have activated his Geass and kill the boy in one swift strike, but he had been scared that someone would hear the ring and come to investigate. He did not want to attract too much attention.

It was still ringing by the time he stopped. "Hello?" he asked, taking a peek to where his target sat. The boy had already stood, and Rolo's expression darkened as his target walked away. If he could not kill him right now, there was still Haruna.

Rolo frowned as the other line remained silent. He looked at the name. It was Lelouch, but that was odd. Why was he not speaking?

Then he heard a rough voice that was not Lelouch spoke from the background.

" _We don't want your money."_

* * *

 **Shortest chapter in this fic so far, and I'm very sorry for that. As I've said in the previous chapter, my novel, which is now entering the final stages of its second draft, takes prioroty. So, yeah. Seven months of absence and this is all I can give.**

 **With that said, I'm going to be free next week, so expect a much longer chapter. Probably around 4k-5k words. We're almost nearing the end of the first act, and things will start heating up. :)**

 **In response to** Rankin de Merthyr **'s review, rest assured that the people of Class E, along with a few others, are not here as a deus ex. They have a purpose, and there's a reason why they are all here. Of course, I won't say anything more than that since it will be a spoiler.**

 **Please Read & Review!**

 **Until next time!**


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